


The Valentine's Day Card

by lostonplatform934



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Chocolate Frog Cards, Domestic Fluff, F/M, First Crush, Fluff, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-26 16:23:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17749325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostonplatform934/pseuds/lostonplatform934
Summary: When 10-year-old Lily Luna Potter has a crush, she takes some inspiration from her mum. But things don't go as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is not Cursed Child compliant, mainly because the Potters eat lots of chocolate in this story and the idea that they would every be "off sugar" is absurd.

“Tell the story again, mum,” Lily begged.

She and Ginny were sitting at the dining room table, putting together the Valentine’s Day cards Lily would hand out to her classmates in school the next day. Like her brothers and cousins had, Lily attended muggle primary school. The tradition had started with her godbrother, Teddy. Harry had been busy with the auror office and then his own kids, while Andromeda had enough on her plate simply raising her godson. So, homeschooling Teddy before Hogwarts hadn’t been much of an option. When James reached school-age, Harry and Ginny realized it would be good for their kids to experience some normalcy in the muggle world before jumping into Hogwarts, where everyone would know their names. Ron and Hermione did the same for Rose and Hugo.

“What story?” Ginny asked, taping a piece of muggle candy to the card. There were candy and chocolate and pink cards everywhere on the table. Ginny and Lily had been excited to go muggle shopping and had gone a little overboard.

“You know, the _Valentine’s Day_ story. With you and Dad. And the Valentine’s card.”

Ginny had guessed that was what her daughter was referring to, but wanted to play along. It wasn’t that Ginny minded telling the story, but it wasn’t her favorite pastime.

“I feel like you know the story as well as me, Lils,” Ginny said evasively.

“Yeah, but I like it better when you tell it,” Lily prodded, slouching forward and sticking out her upper lip slightly.

Ginny regarded her 10-year-old daughter with an exasperated smile. She always teased Harry about giving into anything Lily asked for, but when her daughter fixed her with that playful pout, Ginny couldn’t say “no” either.

“Well, it was my first year and I had a--”

“Wait!” Lily cried. “Dad needs to be in here when you tell it. DAD!”

Harry poked his head in from the kitchen, where he had been bewitching the dishes from dinner to wash themselves.

“Lils,” he called in a sing-song voice.

“Mum’s, telling the Valentine’s Day story.”

“Oh, really,” he said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. Teasing his wife for the Valentine’s card she sent him at 11 never got old, and he was so glad he got his kids in on it. Well, the boys found it funny, but he got the sense Lily found it romantic. He strode into the room and perched himself on the kitchen table in front of Ginny, placing his feet on her lap. Rolling her eyes, she shoved one of his legs off playfully, but curled her arm around the other.

“You’re sitting on the cards,” she said, trying to sound serious, but her smile betrayed her. “And being a bad influence on Lily.”

Waggling his eyebrows at Ginny, Harry refrained from commenting on other things they had done on that table that were far more scandalous than sitting on it.

“Lils, don’t sit on tables,” Harry said to his daughter in mock seriousness, giving her a wink. But he adjusted his position, so Ginny could slide the cards out from beneath his bum.

“I won’t, if you tell the story,” Lily said immediately.

Ginny sighed exaggeratedly, but smiled.

“I was in first year at Hogwarts and it was Valentine’s Day,” she began. Lily brought her knees to her chest and turned to her mother with rapt attention. “And one of the professors arranged for dwarves to play cupid and go around and give everyone Valentines. And I thought I would give one to your dad.”

“Because you fancied him,” Lily chimed in.

“ _Really_ fancied him,” Harry added with a smirk, earning himself a light swat on the knee from Ginny.

“I thought it would be sweet, but your father didn’t like it very much.”

“Only because my stuff spilled out of my bag in the middle of the hallway in front of half my year and half yours. And because the dwarf sat on me.”

“So the execution wasn’t perfect,” Ginny scoffed jokingly, waving her hand.

“But the sentiment was.”

Their heads were close now. Harry could count the freckles on her face and Ginny noticed his lower lip was smudged with chocolate. He had been sneaking the muggle candy off the table into between doing the dishes.

“You have something--” she trailed off, brushing her fingers against his lips. He kissed them lightly and brought his head down to hers.

“The story’s not done yet!” Lily interrupted. She was so used to her parents snogging or nearly snogging in front of her, that she didn’t care. She just wanted to hear the rest of the story.

Ginny flinched. For a moment, she forgot there was a 10-year-old sitting across from her. Harry’s nose wrinkled and he gave her a look that she knew meant later.

“It’s not?” Ginny asked.

“You left out parts.”

“Like what?”

“Like the _song_.”

Ginny grimaced, while Harry’s face lit up.

“I’ll do this part,” he said with an air of mock gallantry. He opened his mouth and then paused for dramatic effect. Lily giggled.

“His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad!” Harry sang in a high-pitched voice. Ginny glared at him and he switched to baritone for the next line. “His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine.”

He squeezed Ginny’s hand at that part and she felt herself melt a little.

“He’s really diviiiiiine,” Harry drew out the word, before rushing through the next part, which Lily could barely hear over her own laughter anyway. “The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.”

“You’re lucky I love you,” Ginny said to Harry, but she was laughing, too.

“I am,” Harry said seriously, kissing her on the forehead.

“Did it work?” Lily asked.

“What, Lils?” Ginny asked.

“The song? Did you start dating after that?”

Harry chuckled.

“We were only in first and second year,” he said. “We didn’t start dating for a few more years.”

“Oh,” Lily said, looking crestfallen. “But did it make you fall in love with mum?”

Ginny smirked at Harry, wondering how he would answer.

“Well, it certainly didn’t hurt,” he said, smiling at his wife and stroking the hand that was now running circles around his leg. He closed his eyes and relished the feeling of just being with his family, of the serenity of the moment.

“Why are you so interested, Lily?” Ginny asked when she finally teared her eyes from her husband.

“No reason,” Lily said quickly. She gathered up the remaining cards and a handful of candy. “I think I’ll finish these in my room.”

“Okay,” her parents said in unison, Harry sinking down onto Ginny’s lap as Lily left the room.

Up in her bedroom, Lily crossed out a line on a spare piece of parchment with a groan. She wished she had asked her mother about how exactly she had written the song that led her parents to fall in love. But she didn’t want them to find out what she was working on.

She could just hear her father’s voice in her head.

“You’re too young to think about boys, Lils,” he’d say, brushing her off.

Never mind that her mother at her own age had been thinking about boys. Well, one boy, in particular. Lily’s father. If her parents weren’t proof that young love works out, then she didn’t know what was.

Lily tried describing the boy’s eyes and hair, like her mum had, but the rhymes didn’t seem to work out.

Well, she didn’t have to write a song, Lily reasoned. She wouldn’t have a dwarf to sing it, anyway. Kreacher, the family house elf, (and her best friend, aside from Teddy, Rose and Hugo) would certainly agree to do it, but today was his day off, so she couldn’t talk to him about it. Besides, there was no way he could go to a muggle school. That would break the Statute of Secrecy.

Perhaps, she should just tell him how she felt in plain English. Lily closed her eyes and thought hard about Michael Wright, the boy who sat at her table in class, who she knew she was destined to be with. He was funny and he had the dreamiest blue eyes. Lily had known she loved him ever since the first week of school. He asked to borrow her calculator and then typed out 0.7734. Lily frowned at him until he turned the calculator around and she saw he had spelled out the word “hello.” Lily blushed and said hi back. He laughed, and Lily felt her heart swell. It felt good to be noticed. Usually, the only person who talked to her at school was Hugo. Michael could have picked anyone’s calculator, but he picked hers.

She tried writing again and the words flowed more easily this time. After a few minutes, she read over what she had written.

_Dear Michael Wright,_

_I am giving you a piece of chocolate filled with caramel because that’s your favorite. I know that’s your favorite because I heard you tell Charlie the other day. I also know that you’re funny and that you don’t like reading. I know these things because I fancy you. I know one day you’ll fancy me too. Because we’re (w)right for each other._

_You have dreamy eyes as blue as the ocean. And you have hair as blonde as the sand. You’re like the beach! I’d love to go to the beach with you. We could go this summer and every summer after that._

_Love,_  
_Lily Luna Potter_

Lily didn’t usually sign her full name on things, but she thought it would be appropriate for this important occasion. Feeling pleased with herself (especially with the pun, which she thought was rather clever,) she copied the paragraph onto the biggest of the Valentine’s cards. She added several hearts throughout the card and drew a big one around “Love, Lily Luna Potter.” For good measure, she added an extra piece of candy.

Satisfied, she put the card at the top of the pile and fell asleep that night dreaming of the reaction of the boy she found just so divine.


	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily's crush reads her Valentine's card, but doesn't get the reaction she hoped for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter two! It's not as fluffy as chapter one, but I hope you enjoy!

 

The day started so well.

 

Lily dressed in purple tights and a pink dress. She didn’t wear dresses a lot to school--or at all, really. But today was special. She had to look nice for Michael. Her mother always told to never change for a boy and that she had to look nice for herself.

 

But she had seen her mum get ready for ministry functions or dates with her dad, and her mum didn’t seem to listen to her own advice. She would try on outfit upon outfit, asking Lily’s dad’s opinion on each one. Lily’s dad always insisted she looked beautiful in everything she wore, so she would end up just picking her own favorite. Lily had never understood the purpose of the whole ordeal.  

 

But as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she started to have some idea. Lily thought she looked great, but she couldn’t help wondering if Michael would feel the same.

 

Perhaps that was it, Lily thought. A girl could be as independent as she wanted, but a little appreciation from a boy didn’t hurt.  

 

Lily was the first one in the kitchen, so she snuck a peak at the package of sweets Luna, her parents’ friend, had owl’d her, and helped herself to a chocolate frog. She got Dumbledore. She had plenty of him, but she was just relieved not to get her parents again. She had way too many of them and saw enough of them at home anyway. She pocketed the card just before Kreacher walked through the door.

 

House elves, she had learned from her Aunt Hermione, used to be like slaves to wizards, an idea that horrified Lily. Kreacher was family. How could wizards have not seen that about their own elves? But Hermione had changed the laws, so they were treated better and were paid. Lily had been bemoaning the whole affair, when Teddy let slip that her dad hadn’t paid Kreacher at one point. Kreacher had worked for her dad for a whole three years before he saw a galleon, she learned. Lily was so furious that she accidentally used magic to burn a hole through her father’s office door. He had stared at her dumbfounded as she shouted at him, before storming up to her room and refusing to speak with him for a week. First, her father tried to explain things, then pleaded for forgiveness, then grew angry, then offered her a new pygmy puff and then a new broom.

 

Only when her dad promised to pay back what he owed Kreacher did Lily agree to talk to him again. She asked that her allowance to go to Kreacher, too.

 

But Kreacher declined the offer. Years before, Harry had given Kreacher Grimmauld Place, the home that once belonged to her dad and before that Kreacher’s former mistress. Kreacher said that was payment enough.

 

Still, ever since, Lily was always certain to give Kreacher gifts on holidays. For Valentine’s Day, she had drawn a picture of the two of them and attached a half dozen pieces of candy.

It made him blush, and he gave her a hug. Kreacher wasn’t normally one for physical affection, but Lily was the exception. He made no secret that she was his favorite of the Potter children.

 

Looking frazzled, her parents came downstairs much later than normal. Many days, her dad had already left for work by the time Lily got up. But this morning her dad gave her kiss on the cheek and a big box of chocolate frogs before he hurried off to work. Her mum, not knowing she had already had sweets, let her have a chocolate frog after her cereal. This time she got Uncle Ron. That wasn’t very exciting either, but at least it wasn’t another of her parents.

At school, Lily’s teacher read a story about the history of Valentine’s Day and then they passed out cards to everyone in class. Lily could barely concentrate on the platitudes in the cards she received. She kept glancing at Michael, not wanting to miss his reaction when he read her card.

 

Lily was opening a vibrant pink card with white hearts when she heard a snort. She looked up. Michael was holding her card. _Her card_.

 

She had imagined that moment in so many ways. Maybe he would blush. Maybe he would smile at her. Maybe he would come over to sit next to her, maybe offering her a piece of chocolate. In her favorite fantasies, he handed her a card that spelled out a similar sentiment.

 

But she had never imagined he would laugh.

 

No, laughter wasn’t the word to describe what he was doing.

 

He was cackling. _Cackling_.

 

He was banging his fist on the table and cackling.

 

Their teacher scolded him and he subdued for a moment, but then he looked over at Lily and started up again.

 

“Lily Luna Potter!” he snickered in between his guffaws. “More like Lily LOOPY Potter.”

 

The entire class turned to look at her.

 

There was a giant boulder pushing onto Lily’s stomach. She was sinking into her chair, into the floor, into the earth. But then why could everyone still see her? She never wished more that she had her father’s invisibility cloak.

 

She was burning. Surely, she had to be on fire. That was why her face was so hot.

 

Was she bleeding? She had to be bleeding because it felt like someone was taking a pair of scissors and snipping up pieces of her heart.  

 

The teacher was shouting something at Michael, but Lily couldn’t make out the words because all her efforts were focused on not crying.  

 

            ***

 

Lily sat against the brick building of the school, her legs curled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees, eyes closed. The ground was muddy with melted snow and she was dirtying her outfit, but she didn’t care. She didn’t need to look nice for Michael anymore. She was such a fool that she didn’t deserve to look nice for herself. It was recess and she could hear the whole school running around, giddy from chocolate and the prospect of love. Lily envied them for their joy, their innocence. That was supposed to be her. Her and Michael.  

 

“Chocolate frog?” A voice said.

 

She looked up. Her cousin Hugo was standing over her, wearing a green T-shirt with a dragon on it and holding out a chocolate frog.

 

Lily shook her head.

 

“Come on,” Hugo implored, sitting down next to her and placing the sweet in her hand. “Your dad always says chocolate makes everything better.”

 

“We weren’t supposed to bring those to school,” Lily mumbled, unwrapping the box. “The Statute of Secrecy.”

 

“Did you listen?”

 

“No,” she grumbled, taking a bite into the frog. “Mine are in my backpack.”

 

“Good thing I snuck mine in my lunch box,” he said.

 

They were quiet for a while, Lily munching on her chocolate and Hugo picking at dead tufts of grass.

 

“What’d you get?” Hugo asked finally. Lily looked quizzically at him before realizing he was asking about her chocolate frog card. She looked at the box and saw a picture of her father.

 

“Just Dad again,” she sighed. But as she stared at her dad, who was smiling and overenthusiastically waving at her, she realized she was glad to have him. In this moment, she would rather see his face over the singing sorceress Celestina Warbeck or Bowman Wright, the inventor of the snitch. Yes, she would definitely rather see her dad than anyone with the last name Wright.

 

If only chocolate frogs could talk. If only her dad were here in real life. She closed her eyes and wished for him to apparate in front of her and take her home. But when she opened her eyes, she was still sitting on the grass and her dad was nowhere to be found. She could call Kreacher, she realized. His house elf magic would allow him to hear her call and appear immediately. But she wasn’t allowed to call Kreacher unless it was an emergency. And she would be breaking the Statute of Secrecy. She didn’t know what the punishment for that would be because she was only a kid, after all. Would they still let her go to Hogwarts? She hoped it wouldn’t be Azkaban. Her dad always complained about having to do watch duty there. It was a task, she overheard him tell her mum once, that he didn’t _need_ to do as head of the auror department, but felt he _should_ do to keep up morale.

 

“Michael’s a prick, you know,” Hugo said, before adding more to himself. “I should kick his arse.”

 

“Don’t.”

 

“James and Al would.”

 

“Don’t tell them,” Lily gasped, turning to Hugo, her eyes wide. “Don’t tell them what happened. They’ll never stop taking the mickey out of me.”

 

Uncle Ron still teased her mum about the Valentine’s song to her dad. Lily had never understood why it bothered her mum so much, but she knew why now. It was a reminder of the rejection Lily was feeling now.

 

“Please, don’t tell them,” Lily pleaded.

 

But before Hugo could answer, they heard a taunting voice.  

 

“Ooooh Timmy!”

 

Lily looked up and felt her stomach drop. Walking toward her were Michael Wright and his best friend, Timmy Jenkins.

 

“It’s Lily Loopy Potter.”

 

Lily didn’t understand how she could ever found Michael’s eyes dreamy like the ocean. Now, they were like ice.

 

“Hey, Lily, hey, Lily,” Michael called. Lily looked at her knees. “Do you think we’re Wr-wr-right for each other?”

 

“Sod off, Michael,” Hugo snapped, standing up.

 

“Who even are you?” Michael scoffed. Lily couldn’t help it. She looked up at Michael incredulously.

 

“He’s in our class!” she cried.

 

“Oh right, he’s your brother or something.”

 

“We’re cousins,” Hugo and Lily said in unison.

 

“Do you loooove him, too?” taunted Timmy, making kissy noises, while Michael formed a heart with his hands.

 

_Of course_ , Lily thought, _because we’re cousins_. But she didn’t say that aloud because she knew Michael wouldn’t understand.

 

Michael and Timmy grew closer.

 

“Do you looooooooove him? Like you looooove me?” Michael jeered.

 

They were towering over the cousins now, leering madly. Lily formed a fist, her nails digging into her palms. A tingling sensation was coursing through her.

 

“I said ‘sod off,’” Hugo yelled, pushing Michael to the ground. He gave a cry, wiping at his now muddy pants and struggling to stand.

 

“Oi!” Timmy shouted, giving Hugo a shove, but the latter only stumbled.

 

Lily stood up.

 

“Don’t touch my cousin,” she shouted, striding over to stand beside Hugo.

 

“Hey, Lily,” Michael called. He had made it off the ground and was walking toward her, smirking cruelly “I was thinking, uh, I was thinking, well, that I might fancy you. Maybe we would want to go to beach together.”

 

He gave that cackle again.

 

Lily felt something bubbling through her. A fury she couldn’t control.

 

She screamed.

 

And Michael and Timmy flew through the air, heads smacking into the brick wall.

 

Hugo and Lily looked at each other, eyes wide.

 

A teacher shouted.

 

Hugo swore.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three is coming soon


	3. Chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione learn about the incident on the playground.

Harry held the elevator door open for Hermione, who scurried in, carrying a large box of files. Their meeting with members of the Wizengamot in the bowels of the Ministry had lasted two hours longer than Harry thought it would and he was feeling famished. He had paid attention in the beginning and thoroughly answered the Wizengamot’s questions about how the aurors were working with MACUSA to extradite the American wizard who had fled to London after attacking a group of muggles. But his patience had started to wane once lunch time passed. The Wizengamot’s inquiries were becoming more and more grating and they seemed incapable of understanding Hermione’s straightforward explanations. This really should be a route extradition, but the MACUSA president was a buffoon, so the Wizengamot was being overly careful. He considered halting the meeting and announcing he needed something to eat. He knew no one would have argued with the Chosen One. But Hermione was running for Minister of Magic and running the meeting. He didn’t want to do anything to undermine her.

“If I don’t eat something in five minutes, I’m going to hex something,” Harry grumbled, tugging at the collar of his robes.

“You sound like Ron,” Hermione said. “But agreed.”

“I skipped breakfast this morning, like a prat.”

“Well, there you go.”

“I was running late,” he said defensively.

That wasn’t completely true. He just hadn’t wanted to leave his bed with Ginny. It was Valentine’s Day after all. He didn’t regret the decision, but he wished he thought of grabbing something to eat before walking out the door.

“You’re sure you and Ginny can watch Hugo tonight?” Hermione asked for what had to be the hundredth time.

“Positive,” Harry insisted. “You and Ron need a date night.”

Hermione had been working nonstop the last few months, what with the campaign for Minister on top of her regular duties for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ron had been entirely supportive, but admitted to Harry that he needed a night where he and Hermione weren’t pouring over paperwork or practicing stump speeches.

When Harry and Hermione emerged from the elevator and onto level two of the Ministry, they felt something vibrate angrily in their pockets. Frowning, Hermione pulled out her cell phone. On a lark, Weasleys Wizard Wheezes had created phones that could work in the magical world and they had taken off better than George and Ron had anticipated. The older, staunch purebloods opposed them because of their muggle connection, but most of the wizarding world had grown attached. Still, reception was poor in the lower levels of the Ministry, and the two appeared to have missed messages during their meeting.

“I have a voicemail,” Hermione muttered, putting her phone to her ear. Harry saw he, too, had a voicemail, but didn’t feel like listening just yet. Instead, he lazily scrolled to his text messages. There were a couple from an unknown number he didn’t recognize, but he went to Ginny’s first. She had texted him earlier in the morning asking if he wanted to get lunch and then an hour after that saying, “Bugger, going to have to cover a press conference, so no lunch. See you tonight. Love you.”

Smiling to himself, Harry started to type out a response when Hermione gripped his arm.

“Hugo got into a fight,” she hissed, looking mortified, dragging her finger across her screen to listen to the voicemail again.

“What?”

“That was the school. They said he got into a fight. I need to pick him up.”

“That makes no sense,” Harry said. Of his nephews and nieces, Hugo was one of the more mellow and well-behaved ones. He then remembered the voicemail and text messages from an unknown number. Lily was a sweetheart, but, he admitted, if he had to bet who was more likely to instigate a fight--she or Hugo--his daughter would win out.

He opened the text message from the unknown number. It was someone from the school asking Mr. Potter to call right away. Lily was okay, but needed her parents to pick her up. It didn’t say anything about a fight.

The voicemail said pretty much the same.

Harry swore.

Harry and Hermione arrived at the school first, barely remembering to transfigure their robes into something that would appear more appropriate to the muggles. Hermione had reached Ron at the shop. He, too, had missed the call from the school, but was on his way. However, Ginny hadn’t returned Harry’s numerous calls and texts. He knew she would have her phone on silent during whatever press conference she was covering, but he hoped she would have seen the messages anyway.

“I’m Hugo’s mum,” Hermione said breathlessly to the woman at the front office.

“Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!” the woman exclaimed.

“No!” Harry and Hermione practically shouted in unison.

“I’m Lily’s dad. Harry. Harry Potter.”

“And I’m Hermione Granger. Hugo’s mum. My husband--Hugo’s dad’s on the way.”

“My wife is, too,” Harry added, even though he didn’t know where Ginny was.

The woman blinked and then apologized.

“Ms. Granger, your son is in with the headmaster now. And Mr. Potter, if you just give me one moment, I believe your daughter is there, too. But she might be with the nurse.”

“What?” Harry shouted, gripping the woman’s desk. “Is she okay?”

“I believe so, Mr. Potter. She’s just shaken up,” she replied. When Harry opened his mouth, she added hastily. “I’m sorry. I don’t know all the details. Let me get someone to help.”

The woman headed deeper into the office as Ron burst through the door in his vibrant Weasleys Wizard Wheezes robes.

“‘Mione, what’s going on?”

“Ron, your robes,” she chided.

Ron looked down at what he was wearing and swore.

“Like this is the most important thing right now,” he snapped.

“Well, we can’t go talk to the headmaster with you looking like that.”

Ron opened his mouth to retort.

Harry was especially relieved when Ginny’s name popped up on his phone screen.

“Gin, where are you?”

“Is Lily okay? I just got out of the Magpies stadium and--”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. We just got here. But she’s with the nurse. Or the headmaster. I dunno.”

“Oh Merlin.”

“But they said she’s okay. I dunno. They’re getting the headmaster.”

“Okay, okay. I’m apparating now.”

She hung up and Harry dragged his hand through his hair before hastily flattening it. If Lily was in trouble with the school, he had to make a good impression to help her out of it. Hermione was discretely transfiguring Ron’s robes into muggle attire and put her wand away just as the receptionist returned with a short, balding man. He held out his hand to Harry, Ron and Hermione and introduced himself as the headmaster.

“Is Lily okay?” Harry asked by way of greeting.

“She is,” he said and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s just a little upset. There was--” His eyes glanced at Ron and Hermione. “Er--an altercation.”

“Between Lily and Hugo?” Ron questioned incredulously. Lily and Hugo bickered like brother and sister, but their biggest disagreements were often over trading chocolate frog cards.

“No,” the headmaster said quickly. “I’ll explain in my office.”

Just then, Ginny burst into the door, looked haggard. She was in jeans and a sweater, so at least they didn’t need to worry about the Statute of Secrecy. Harry exhaled. Her presence made everything feel a bit brighter.

“I’m sorry I’m late!” she cried. “Is Lily okay?”

“Yes, she’s in my office. We can go see her now.”

Hugo and Lily were sitting in straight-back chairs in the headmaster’s office, which was decorated with crayon pictures and non-moving photographs of smiling kids. Lily’s face was blotchy and Hugo was gripping her hand, looking frightened.

“Daddy!” Lily cried as soon as Harry entered the room. She rushed into his arms and he knelt down, clutching her and feeling a sob wrack through her body.

“Lils,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Ginny was glaring at the headmaster in a way that made Harry a little worried she might cast a bat-bogey hex.

“What happened?” she snarled.

“Sit down,” he gestured at the four chairs in front of his desk.

“I’m fine with standing thanks,” Ginny snapped, striding over to her husband and placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on Lily’s.

Ignoring the headmaster, who was nervously tugging at his sleeves, Ron and Hermione drifted over to Hugo.

“What happened, honey?” Hermione asked Hugo, her tone a mixture of foreboding and sympathetic. Hugo stared wide-eyed at her. Hermione got the sense her son was trying to tell her something.

Lily pulled out of her father’s embrace abruptly, wiped her eyes and turned to Hermione.

“It’s not Hugo’s fault,” Lily said seriously.

Hugo’s lips twitched in gratitude, but didn’t say anything. Lily slinked back into her father’s arms and Harry resumed the stroking of her hair.

“There was an incident on the playground after lunch,” the headmaster interrupted. “It’s still unclear exactly what happened, but it appears Hugo shoved two students into a wall.”

Hermione gasped and dug her fingers into Hugo’s shoulders angrily, while Ron glared at him, open-mouthed. Lily gave her parents a quick shake of the head.

“The students appear to have suffered concussions. They were sent to the hospital.”

“Hugo,” Hermione scolded angrily. She was shooting daggers at him and her face was red. “How could you?”

Hugo’s ears were turning scarlet and he, too, looked like he was going to burst into tears now.

“It wasn’t Hugo!”

Lily had broken from her father’s arms again and turned to face the adults.

“It--er--it was me,” she admitted, her face pinkening, but her expression determined.

“Lily,” Harry and Ginny gasped together.

“No, Lily, don’t,” Hugo objected.

The headmaster cleared his throat.

“Er, you pushed Michael Wright and Timothy Jenkins?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lily said at the same time that Hugo said “She didn’t.”

Both kids turned to their parents and looked at them pointedly. Together, recognition dawned on their parents’ faces.

“Headmaster, could we have just a moment alone with our kids, please?” Hermione asked as sweetly as possible, but in a tone that told him she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The headmaster looked uncertain, but agreed.

When he had closed the door, Hermione turned to Lily and Hugo.

“All right, whose magic went a little awry?” she asked, her tone firm, but understanding.

“Me,” Lily admitted meekly. She turned to her parents. “I’m sorry! It was an accident.”

“It’s okay, Lily,” Ginny said, kneeling down to give her daughter a hug. “That’s why it’s called accidental magic.”

“WIll I go to Azkaban?” Lily blurted out.

Harry bit back a laugh.

“No, Lils, of course not,” he said, ruffling her hair. “I’d never let that happen.”

“Can I still go to Hogwarts?” Her voice shook with fear.

“Of course,” Ginny soothed.

“But I broke the law.”

“No, you didn’t,” Hermione said. “That law only applies after you go to Hogwarts.”

“You just have to learn to control your magic, and you will,” Ron said.

“I know you didn’t mean to do it,” Ginny added.

Lily gulped and glanced shiftedly at Hugo.

“It’s all right, Lily,” Harry added. “We know you’re sorry.”

“They deserved it,” Hugo burst out.

“Excuse me?” Ron said, raising his eyebrows at his son.

“They deserved it,” Hugo repeated, folding his arms. “And I’m not sorry.”

“Hugo!” Hermione cried, aghast. “As wizards and witches, we need to be careful around mug--”

“It has nothing to do with them being muggles and everything to do with them being pricks!” Hugo spat back.

“Language!” Hermione scolded.

“They were mean to Lily!” Hugo continued.

“Stop it, Hugo,” Lily groaned, her cheeks flushing.

Harry felt his arms shaking and, while a moment ago, he had been nodding in approval with Hermione’s words, he was now wondering how much trouble he would get in for hexing muggle children in their hospital beds. Those boys were mean to Lily. Surely, he could arrange for them to get matching cells in Azkaban.

To Lily’s dismay, Hugo explained what had happened, doing his best to gloss over the Valentine’s card, but the adults still got the gist. Lily’s face burned.

“In conclusion, those kids are gits,” he finished.

This time, no one corrected Hugo for his language because the parents didn’t disagree.

“Hugo, that’s admirable to want to defend your cousin, but you still can’t push people,” Ron said finally. “You use your words or you call a teacher.”

“Well, I’m still not sorry,” Hugo said flatly.

“Well,” Hermione huffed. “You can see how you feel after you’ve gone a week without your broom.”

“What?”

“You’re not just going to get away with pushing other kids. No matter the reason!”

“That’s not fair!”

“Now it’s two weeks!”

Hugo groaned and crossed his arms, but shut his mouth.

Lily was pointedly looking at her shoes. Harry and Ginny looked at each other, communicating wordlessly on how and whether Lily should be punished. Harry was inclined to forget the whole thing. It had been an accident after all, and Hugo was right--those kids did deserve it. Ginny agreed, but still felt like there should be some sort of consequence.

“Er, what are we going to tell the muggles?” Ron asked.

Hermione moaned and Harry straightened up, rubbing his temples.

“Confound them?” Ginny suggested, sounding uncertain.

“Yeah, that could go great for the campaign. Confound a muggle to get our kids out of trouble at school,” Ron grumbled sarcastically. “If the Prophet gets a word of that--”

“It’s protecting the Statute of Secrecy,” Ginny shot back.

Hermione sighed.

“It’s our protecting our kids,” she said, sounding weary. “There’s a perfectly muggle explanation for this. Hugo pushed them into the wall. They hit their heads. That’s already what the headmaster believes.”

Harry and Ginny nodded in agreement, but Lily spoke up softly.

“But it wasn’t Hugo. It was me. I’m the one who made them hit their heads.”

“No,” Hugo jumped in. “I’m the one who pushed Michael. That led to all this. You’re not getting in trouble because those kids were gits to you.”

At this moment, the parents knew Hugo would be a Gryffindor.

“That’s kind of you, Hugo, but Lily’s right,” Ginny said. “You’ll get your broom taken away and Lily will take whatever punishment the school gives her. That’s only fair.”

Ginny and Harry exchanged a look. This would solve their problem.

“No way,” Ron snorted. “Lily’s not taking responsibility for this.”

“Gin and Lily are right,” Harry jumped in. “Lily made a mistake, an understandable mistake, but Hugo shouldn’t be blamed for it..”

“If you tell them Lily did it, I’ll tell them you’re lying,” Hugo avowed. “I’ll them we’re wizards or whatever. And then the Statute of Secrecy will be broken.”

The adults looked at each other. They weren’t worried about Hugo’s threat. The headmaster wouldn’t believe him, but still it was strange that Hugo would want to be punished.

“Why are you so eager to do this, Hugo?” Ron asked.

“I won’t give you your broom back,” Hermione added, although she had just been thinking she should lessen the punishment from two to one week. Even one week seemed like a long time. She had been too harsh.

“It doesn’t matter why I want to do it,” Hugo said.

His parents raised their eyebrows.

“Fine, you think James and Al will let me live it down if Lily gets in trouble for this?” Hugo admitted. “No way. I’ll take the school’s punishment.”

They couldn’t help it. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny chuckled.

“You know,” Ron said. “One week without a broom sounds reasonable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter is coming tomorrow! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Potters return home and Ginny comforts Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! Here is the final chapter!

Hugo ended up getting an in-school suspension for two weeks. He also had to write an apology letter to the boys, something Ginny offered to help him with because Hugo refused to do it. But the parents made it clear to the headmaster that Hugo had been defending Lily and that someone needed to talk to those boys about bullying. Hermione and Ron privately decided not to take away Hugo’s broom.

Harry and Ginny insisted Ron and Hermione still have their date, so the Potters side-along apparated Lily and Hugo home with them. Kreacher was pleased, but surprised to see them all home early.

“Shall I bake an after-school snack?” he asked the kids, sensing something was off from their glum faces, but hoping food would cheer them up. “Or are you lot too full on sweets?”

Harry realized how hungry he was. The drama with Lily and Hugo had made him forget that he had missed both breakfast and lunch, but his stomach grumbled loudly as soon as food was mentioned

“Can I have a sandwich, Kreacher? And, er, could we have an early dinner tonight? I haven’t eaten all day.”

Ginny gave him a look that he knew meant: _You need to take care of yourself!_ He raised his eyebrows to remind her why he had been running late that morning. But before Ginny could say anything, Lily grumbled that she wasn’t hungry and trudged toward the stairs.

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks.

“You eat,” she said to him kindly. “And Hugo, maybe you can teach Uncle Harry how to beat your dad at chess?”

Lily didn’t answer when Ginny knocked on her door.

“Lily, honey. Can I come in?”

There was no response for a moment.

“Do you have to?” Lily said finally. “I just want to be alone. Please.”

Ginny sighed. She wanted to respect her daughter’s wishes, but she also didn’t want to leave her to mope alone.

“Okay. Can I bring you anything? Butterbeer? Food? Chocolate frogs? You know what your dad says. Chocolate makes everything better.”

Lily was quiet for a while.

“Was it this awful?” she eventually asked.

“What?”

“When Dad didn’t like your valentine.”

“Oh Lily,” Ginny murmured. “Please can I come in?”

There was a little moan that Ginny decided to take for a “yes.”

When Ginny opened the door, Lily was slumped on her bed, a pout on her face that was much more miserable than the one she frequently flashed to charm her parents into spoiling her. She was fingering the dragon stuffed animal her Uncle Charlie had given her as a baby. Ginny sensed her daughter had been clutching it before she walked in.

Ginny sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“To answer your question, yes, it was pretty awful,” Ginny confided.

“But Dad didn’t make fun of you.”

“No, he didn’t,” Ginny said softly, rubbing her daughter’s back. Ginny’s heart was breaking for her daughter, but she couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit relieved. If this was the worst thing her daughter would have to endure, then Ginny would be happy.

“No one at school likes me,” Lily whispered.

Ginny sucked in a breath. She took it back. Her daughter feeling any pain was too much.

“Lily! What do you mean?”

Ginny knew her daughter wasn’t the most popular kid in school. James and Albus hadn’t been either though. At home, Lily seemed perfectly well adjusted, so Ginny and Harry hadn’t worried.

“I don’t have any friends, besides Hugo. Everyone thinks we’re weird. And we are weird. Cuz we can do magic.”

“That’s not weird, Lils. That’s special.”

“I know that it’s special. But when we’re around muggles, it’s also weird. We can’t tell them anything about ourselves or else we’re breaking the Statute of Secrecy. And so we can’t get to know other kids and we can’t make friends.”

Ginny bit her lip. She and Harry had always thought sending their kids to muggle school would be best. They would be well-educated, but more importantly they would get to be regular kids in a world where the name “Potter” didn’t mean royalty.

They had never considered forcing normal on their kids would hurt them.

“I’m so sorry, Lily,” Ginny said finally. “I didn’t know.”

Lily shrugged.

“I just want to go to Hogwarts,” she groaned.

Ginny smiled sadly at her daughter and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“Not much longer,” she said, before adding. “You know you can talk to me about this stuff, right? I want you to talk to me about this stuff. It’s not good to hold it all in.”

Lily shrugged again in a way that Ginny sensed meant: _You don’t know what it’s like_.

“I have some experience with feeling lonely, you know?” Ginny said.

Lily raised her eyebrows. Her mum was the famous Ginny Potter, popular Quidditch star. Everyone loved her. She couldn’t imagine her mum ever feeling lonely.

“My first year at Hogwarts, I didn’t have any friends. Real friends anyway.”

Ginny shuddered, recalling her memories from 11 and wishing more than anything that her daughter would never go through what she did.

“I was very, very lonely,” she continued. “I thought if I was with your dad, everything would be different. He was my one hope, so I sent him that valentine. But afterward I was so embarrassed, and I never thought I’d be able to face your dad again. I could barely talk to him back then anyway, but I became even more shy after that.”

“But you’re not shy.”

“I was then. Well, around your dad, at least.”

“Because you loved him.”

“I don’t know,” Ginny said thoughtfully.

Lily sat up straight, eyes wide.

“You don’t know if you love Dad!”

“No, no, no,” Ginny said hastily. “I mean I don’t know if I loved him then. I certainly thought I did. And I suppose what I felt was love in a certain way. But it wasn’t like the love I feel now.”

Lily frowned.

“The way I love your dad now is different from how I loved him then. It’s changed over time. Our love has grown even stronger, as we’ve gotten to know each other better, as we’ve faced--”

Ginny tried to find the appropriate words to say to her 10-year-old.

“As we faced challenges,” she decided. “Our love is a magical one, but it’s not just magic that holds it together. It’s our choices and our own will to love each other, despite all the odds. Does that make sense?”

Lily shrugged. In a way, her mum kind of made sense. But Lily also liked the fantasy she had always believed, that her mother loved her father before they even met, that her dad loved her mum from the moment he saw her, even if he didn’t realize it yet.

“I don’t think I loved Michael,” Lily admitted. If today was one of those “challenges” her mother described, she didn’t have the will to love him. She wasn’t sure her feelings had been powerful enough to be called love. She couldn’t even remember what she had liked about Michael in the first place.

Ginny barely refrained from smiling.

“I don’t think so either.”

“I deserve better,” Lily declared, crossing her arms in determination.

Ginny smiled.

“You do. You most definitely do. And one day, you’re going to meet someone better and your stomach is going to flip flop and you’re going to fall in love and that love is going to grow stronger and stronger.”

“Just like your and Dad’s love?”

“Just like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this story! Thanks so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter two coming soon...


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